For Better Or For Worse
by melodygrants
Summary: The story of Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta, beginning at Annie's games and ending at the end of Mockingjay...
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: The Reaping

I wake up to the sun just beginning to rise. I roll over and try to go back to sleep, but then I remember: it's Reaping Day. The day the Capitol chooses one "lucky" boy and girl from each District to compete in the annual Hunger Games, a televised event where 24 kids are placed in an arena to fight to the death, while their families spend each day in gripping terror and the Capitol residents sit back and watch with a bowl of popcorn. Every year, it's a source of anxiety for me, despite coming from a Career District. In the part of District 4 that I come from, we spend less time training and more time fishing, since the majority of us will never be in the Hunger Games anyway, or at least that's what the Peacekeepers tell us. Personally, I want to be prepared for if I ever do get Reaped, but in Panem, you never question authority. You do what the Peacekeepers tell you and try not to get into any trouble. So I do just that.

Now that the realization has to come me that it's Reaping Day, there is no way I am getting back to sleep. I get up and sit by the window, and watch the sun come up. The Reaping isn't until noon, but now that the sun is up and sleep is no longer an option, I gather my fishing pole and lures and walk outside to the lake. District 4 is the fishing district, so all of us are taught from a very early age to fish, swim, make nets, and anything else that will help us catch enough fish to supply all of Panem. Or, that's how it's supposed to be. But it seems the Capitol skimps off on most of the other Districts. I get in my canoe and paddle out to where most of the fish stay. I try to fish, but my mind keeps drifting to the Reaping. I sigh and put down my paddle, watching the sunlight glint off the water. There are little waves, and the rocking of the boat is relaxing. I lay back and try to clear my head. All of a sudden, I open my eyes and the sun is high in the sky. I curse under my breath and paddle quickly back home. "Where have you been?" my mother asks in surprise. "I haven't seen you all morning!" "Fishing" I say quickly as I rush into my room. On my bed lays a white sundress, one of my mom's favorites. _"Of course, have to look nice for the Reaping." _I think to myself. I put it on and brush out my hair, the anxiety rising in my chest. I don't know why I'm so worried. Being 15, my name is only in 3 times. I take a deep breath and walk out into the kitchen, where my mother is waiting. She smiles at me. "You look beautiful." She says. I try to smile back, convincingly, to hide the anxiety creeping up inside me, growing heavier and stronger with each minute. But my mother knows. She can see it in my eyes. Thankfully, though, she doesn't say anything, just gives my shoulder a squeeze as we walk out of the house, through the town, towards the Square where the Reaping takes place.

By the time we reach the Square, it is crowded, all of District 4 crammed together. It's loud and hot, and all I want is for it to be over with. For the representative from the Capitol to announce the tributes, and for me to go home, relieved, and not have to feel this crippling anxiety until next year. Even more, I wish I could fast forward through time, fast forward to the end of the day. There is nothing I hate more than seeing the faces of the children as they are called up the stage, the sheer terror on their faces, their families in shock. It's awful, the whole thing. I bite my lip as the representative from the Capitol comes up to the microphone. In a happy, chirping voice that seems highly inappropriate considering she is pretty much about to give 2 children a death sentence, she says, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be EVER in your favor!" She smiles, and it stirs something in my stomach. She reaches her perfectly groomed hand, complete with bright pink nails, into the reaping ball and pulls out a small slip of paper. My stomach churns, and I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "And our lucky young lady is…" I close my eyes, trying to block out her chirpy voice. And then it happens. And it's all I can do not to black out, right there in the middle of the Square.

"Annie Cresta!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Ahh! I forgot to include author's notes on the first chapter… sorry about that… so anyway, for those of you who are here… welcome to my first ever story! You probably know what this story is going to be about so… yeah… I really don't know what to say. Oh yeah. I. personally, unlike many of my friends, LOVED Mockingjay. It has been accused of "not making sense" (yes, my friend really did say that, horrible I know ;) ) ****but I feel all defensive of it since I loved it and was one of the only people that did. **

**Anyways… I would LOVE reviews so I know I am not just writing to the invisible fanfiction ghosts. **

CHAPTER 2: The Mentor

My ears pound, my vision swims, my heart drops. No. I must've heard wrong. But when I don't move, and all the heads the crowd slowly turn in my direction, I know it's real. I try to move, but I can't. I feel a hand on my back give me a little push, and I slowly begin to walk up to the stage. My legs feel heavy, and nothing feels real. I feel detached, like I'm watching some unknown girl walk up to the stage. But it's not. Its me. I look up at the screens lining either side of the square. My face is sheet white. Like a ghost. Or a corpse. I think how in a matter of days, that may be my exact fate and almost black out again. But I ball my hands into fists and dig my nails into my palms. This is by far the longest walk I've ever had to take. And all of a sudden I'm on the stage, not knowing how I got there. I feel a scream forming in my throat, but I hold it back. I blink back my tears and bite my lip. I can't let all of Panem see me cry. The tributes who cry at the opening ceremony are labeled weak in the heads of all the other tributes, just practice dummies to take out at the beginning of the Games. Before the real fun begins. I hear the Capitol representative warble "It's time to choose our boy tribute!" but it sounds detached somehow. I decide I have to pick something to focus on in my swimming vision. I look into the crowd and find my mother. She is sobbing and shaking, leaning against someone in the crowd. I look away, but the sight makes me start shaking too. I am thankful that the moment the representative announces "Jackson Castor!" and Jackson makes his way up on the stage, we are whisked away into the Justice Building. If I had to sit on that stage for one more minute I would have broken down. But once I'm placed in the holding room, it's clear I cant cry just yet. I know there will be cameras at the train station, and I can't show up there red and puffy-eyed. I bite my lip and rub my hand up and down on the smooth velvet couch. I try to make my mind focus only on that one thing, up and down, up and down. It's kind of therapudic. After a few minutes the door creaks open. My mother walks in, followed by a couple of Peacekeepers. Her eyes are red and swollen, but it's clear she's trying to keep her composure. At least until she leaves. Without saying a word, she gives me a tight hug, and it takes all I have not to start sobbing. I don't know how long we stay like this, but it's too short. Because after what seems like 2 seconds, the Peacekeepers are dragging her away. But before the Peacekeepers pull her out the door, she whispers to me "I know you can do it." Her voice cracks, and I shake my head. Because I can't do it. I know I can't. I know what I'm up against. The odds are not in my favor.

The next person to come in is my friend Holly. We have been best friends since we were 3, inseperable. Holly sits down on the couch next to me. Her face is pale, and she looks like she might pass out. She touches my hand, and I close my eyes. Knowing that this might be the last time I see Holly and my mom is too much. I try to say something, but I seem to have gone temporarily mute. Holly gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then the Peacekeepers are back. I look away as they take her out of the room. I can't bear to watch her leave.

The ride from the Justice Building to the train station is shorter than I expected. I watch District 4 blur by out of the window of the car. I can't help thinking I will never see District 4 again. Before long, we reach the train station. The cameras swarm around me, and I know now that I made the right choice not crying back at the Justice Building. I look down, trying to ignore the cameras. I step onto the train, and it's like nothing I've ever seen. I might be in awe if I didn't feel so numb. Dinner sits on a long, mahogany table. Lamb stew, pudding, and many other dishes that look so delicious they could be fake. I sit down at the table next to Jackson, who looks at me with a half-smile, half-grimace. I understand that look completely. We are just about to start serving ourselves when a boy walks in. He is so handsome that for a minute my breath catches in my throat. I know who this is. Everyone does. Finnick Odair, bronze-haired, muscular, charming Victor of the 65th Hunger Games. He is accompanied by a blonde haired, blue eyed young woman who won a few years ago. She lived in the part of the District where the kids stop going to school at age 10 to undergo intense training. The Career section. Finnick sits across from me and the young woman across from Jackson. "Hi," Finnick says. His eyes are a soft shade of sea green. I blush, and look away, embarrassed. "I'm Finnick. I'm going to be your mentor".

**Okay, so I have written up to Chapter 10, so if I get reviews I will upload the others, and I am starting 11 tonight so hopefully there won't be a backup…**

**So… Thank you for reading and… good night? I guess? Even though it's only 7:30? Ahh I don't know what to say ignore my insane ramblings…**

**REVIEW IF YOU WANT CHAPTER 3! 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**YAY! REVIEWS! I HONESTLY SCREAMED WHEN I SAW THE REVIEWS AND SAW THAT SOME OF YOU ADDED MY STORY TO YOUR FAVORITES! It totally made my day, I was grinning ridiculously all day I love you Coco and The Faery of Chaos! 3 3 3 Tell all your friends!**

**So here you go, Chapter 3!**

Chapter 3: The Tributes

That night I dream of an arena that is all jungle.

The trees and plants are so dense, that I cannot see any of the other tributes.

Or the deadly animals that lurk around every turn.

I can only hear the screams.

I wake up screaming myself at about 2:00 am. For just one moment, I forget everything.

I think I'm in my own bed back at home.

But then it hits me all over again.

This time, there are no cameras around, no people to see me cry.

So I do.

I sob until I have no tears left, and then I lay in bed, numb, lulled by the rocking of the train, until I hear a knock at the compartment door.

Breakfast. I get up and compose myself enough to get dressed and splash cold water on my face, trying to reduce the puffiness of my eyes. I go out into the main compartment to find Finnick, Jackson, and Jackson's mentor, Ariel, sitting at the table. The breakfast looks delicious, but I'm not feeling very hungry. Crying wore me out, and the nightmare that haunted me last night still lurks in the back of my mind.

"So," Finnick says, passing me a plate of eggs, which I refuse, "Today you will meet your prep team. They're going to get you 'ready for the chariots!'" as he says this last part, he puts on a chirping Capitol accent, and I laugh. "Just survive the day and the rest will be a breeze." He winks at me and pops a sugar cube into his mouth. I laugh again, feeling slightly better.

After breakfast, during which I eat nothing, I am led into a room where I am stripped down and put into a robe. A group of 3 of the silliest looking people I have ever met walks in. This is, very obviously, my prep team. Who could mistake their colored skin, stenciled tattoos, and over-the-top clothes for anything other then Capitol attire? The next few hours are painful as I am waxed, plucked, and shaved to their satisfaction. Eventually, my stylist arrives, carrying a dress of the shiniest aqua. Blues and greens flick off the fabric, making it look like water glinting in the sunlight. "It's beautiful." I whisper. My stylist smiles and pulls it over my head. It is light and flowing, and surprisingly comfortable. He then blows out my hair, letting it's natural wave take over, and before long I am being led outside to the chariots.

The chariots are pulled by horses, and when I get outside it is pretty obvious which chariot is ours. Shiny blue and green, it almost perfectly matches my dress. The horses wear headdresses of silver. I climb up the steps, but trip, not used to walking in anything so long. Jackson catches my shoulder and grins. "Thanks." I whisper. I smile back, but inside I am thinking, _I hate this. I hate it I hate it I hate it. I hate the fact that I actually kind of LIKE my fellow tribute. Knowing at least one of us has to die._ I make a mental note not to let myself get too close to Jackson Castor.

The chariots go in a circle, and the roar of the crowd drowns out my pounding heart. I am grateful, because my nerves are getting the better of me. Looking around at all of the other tributes, so big, strong, menacing. Still, I take the advice of my stylist and smile and wave at the crowd. The anthem plays, we take one last trip around the circle, and then we are leaving, off to the training center. By the time we arrive, it's late, and I'm tired, the day having been one big blur. So I skip dinner and go straight to bed, thankfully falling into an almost dreamless sleep.

**REVIEW RESPONSES: Coco: THANK YOU! 3 **

** The Faery of Chaos: THANK YOU SO MUCH! To hear that you love it makes me so happy and lucky you, "normal" Annie sticks around until Chapter 8, so enjoy it while it lasts ;) and I agree, Finnick is charming **

**Okay so I am aware that Chapter 3 is short, so I will be putting up Chapter 4 at the same time. But the beginning of the actual Games (Chapter 5) is going to have to wait since I only have prewritten up to Chapter 10 and I don't want to get behind! But I promise, Chapter 5 will be up tomorrow or Sunday! I LOVE YOU ALL! KEEP REVIEWING!**


	4. Chapter 4

**As promised, Chapter 4! I love you all, I love knowing I have readers out there, especially readers who love the possibilities of Annie and Finnick as much as I do **

Chapter 4: The Training

The next few days go by in a blur.

Wake up.

Get dressed.

Eat so much delicious breakfast that you feel like you are going to barf.

Go down the elevator that takes you to training.

Circle around the training booths.

Feel completely terrified and intimidated every time you see the other tributes.

Eat lunch.

Interview coaching.

More training.

Dinner.

Bed.

Have horrid nightmares about the Games.

Wake up screaming.

Repeat.

I spend the first couple days at the knot-tying booth, after finding out that I'm hopeless at spear throwing, combat fighting, and archery. The man working the booth is impressed, even when I tell him I'm from District 4. He teaches me how to set complicated traps, and on the third day, he suggests I try something else, so I go to the only other empty booth there is: Camouflage. I begin painting with a mixture of paints, dyes, and berry juices and find that I can do it with ease. I paint myself into a tree on one arm and a meadow on the other. The woman working the booth is amazed, but I'm not so relieved. "Great. My 2 talents: Knot tying and painting." I mutter as I walk back to the elevator at lunchtime. "Deadly. I'll win the games for sure."

Next up is interview training, and to be honest, I'm not in the mood. Finnick tries finding my angle, but I'm not feeling up to much today.

"What's wrong?" he asks, sitting down next to me. I just shake my head. "Ah, the pre-interview nerves," he says slowly, his smile making me blush again. "I remember them all too well." I shake my head again, but I can't help smiling this time. "You'll do fine," Finnick whispers, giving my shoulders a squeeze, "Just be yourself. Now," he says, picking up the interview cards and grabbing a random one out of the pile, flashing me a smile. In a Capitol accent, flipping his hair animatedly he chirps, "What was your first reaction to the Capitol?"

Interview day comes all too soon, and by the time my prep team calls me in, I'm terrified. I sit blankly as they do my hair and makeup, imagining all the things that could go wrong. The 7 I got in training is just what I need to fly under the radar, but I don't want to screw up this interview. I silently thank the Gamemakers for ignoring me as I painted myself into the fake trees down in the training center. At first I was a bit disappointed that they didn't bother to even pay attention for 2 minutes to my camouflage, but then I decided it was for the best. So I want this interview to go as smooth as possible, and not draw any more attention to myself than the minimal.

When my stylist arrives with my dress, long, silky, strapless and midnight blue, I am distracted from my nerves as he slips it over my head. Beautiful. He's done it again. But as I wait for my turn, the nerves return. District 1. My face feels hot, my heart is thumping so loud I'm surprised all of Panem can't hear. District 2. I start to feel faint, I close my eyes. I start hyperventilating around District 3, which is, luckily, when Finnick arrives. He sits down next to me. "You'll be fine." He whispers. "Remember how we practiced." I take a deep breath as the boy from District 3 leaves and I hear Caesar Flickerman announce my name.

I sit on the couch just as Caesar says, "So, Annie. You've come from District 4. What advantages do you feel you have coming from a Career district?" My head is pounding so loudly that I can barely hear him. I look out desperately into the crowd and find Finnick. He smiles. I take a deep breath and say. "Um, none?" The audience laughs. "Come on, there's got to be something!" Caesar laughs. "Training for 2 straight years has got to have given you some advantage, right?" "Well," I say, grateful for Caesar's ability to make _anyone _look good in front of the camera, "I haven't exactly been training. At all." "Really?" Caesar looks surprised? "Ah, from _waayyy_ out there in District 4 are you?" He winks, and as the crowd laughs, even I smile. "So, Annie." He says, leaning in close to me. "Any hidden talents? Anything I should warn the fellow tributes about?" He winks again, gesturing for me to answer. "Umm… I don't think so… But I guess we'll find out at the Games won't we?" The crowd fills with a mixture of laughter and applause, and Caesar chuckles. "I guess we will." He says gently. A buzzer goes off, and Caesar turns towards the crowd. "I'm sorry everybody, we're out of time. Annie Cresta, District 4 tribute, good luck!" Caesar says, patting me on the back. The crowd cheers as I walk off the stage, and I sigh with relief.

Finnick is waiting for me offstage, holding up his hand for a high-five. I laugh and roll my eyes, but give him a high-five anyway. I sit down on the chair directly offstage so I can hear Jackson's interview. It's heartbreaking. He has 3 brothers and a sister, and he's the oldest. His mother is dead, and his father is a raging alcohol who is either out drinking or too drunk to do anything for the family. Jackson basically supports his family by using all his spare time to fish. He makes nets and sells them door to door. At the moment, his sister Lily, who is 4, is really sick. He had to teach his oldest brother, who is only 13, what herbs and medicines to use to take care of her. By the end of Jackson's interview, there's not a dry eye in the audience. When the buzzer sounds the applause is deafening. "Damn it Jackson." I think to myself. "You're making it really hard not to like you."

Now that the interview is over, the anxiety about the Games begins to surface. Actually, anxiety is too small of a word. More like terror. By the time night rolls around, I'm feeling thoroughly nauseous and my head is swimming. I'm feeling detached again, like I did when I was first Reaped. I'm too scared to even eat anything. I can't stand sitting at that table anymore. I get up and run to my room. I'm just about to open the door when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to find Finnick standing behind me, a grimace on his face.

Without saying a word he pulls me into a hug, and let my guard down. I sob like I did that first night on the train. Till I have no tears left. And then I'm shaking, and hyperventilating, and Finnick scoops me up and carries me to my bed. He rubs my back until I'm coherent enough to sit up. "I remember my last night before the games." He says softly. "I was terrified." I bury my face in his shoulder. "Here," he whispers, opening my hand and pressing a small, cold pearl into my hand. "Keep it as a token. " He gives me a kiss on the cheek and hugs me tight. At that moment an intensity washes over me. I wrap my arms around Finnick's neck and kiss him, kiss him like it's the last kiss I'll ever have. It occurs to me that it might be and I kiss him harder. All of a sudden he pulls away. "Annie," He whispers. And I look straight away terrified of what I might hear. But to my surprise, he lifts my chin and whispers, "I love you. So much. Too much." I look at him, surprised. "I love you too." I whisper. He pulls me in for one last hug. "I can't lose you." He stares straight into my eyes, and this time I don't look away. "You can do it. You can win." And for the first time since this whole nightmare began, I almost believe it.

**Sorry for the saddish ending without a chapter 5, but seeing as I have only written up to 10 and 5 is the Games, I thought I would keep you hanging for a bit while I catch up on writing, but it will be up soon! Keep reading and reviewing, I love you all!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, I lied. I'm sorry I didn't post Chapter 5 sooner! I got busy and… ugh sorry but here it is! I may post chapter 6 tonight but I don't know… and also I just finished Chapter 11 and it's longgggg! So yay! Okay here's 5!**

Chapter 5: The Games

The night before the Games is sleepless.

I spend half the night pacing, counting down the time I have left, and half the night alternating between hyperventilating and imagining all the horrible arenas the Gamemakers could put me in.

Deserts deprived of all food and water supply.

5 hours left.

Jungles full of deadly animals.

4 hours.

Snow-filled mountains complete with avalanches.

Fields full of poisonous berries.

Forests full of tracker jacker nests.

3 hours.

2 hours.

As the time draws nearer and nearer, the arenas become clearer, more vivid. When I hear a knock at the door, my vision clears and I find that I am on my knees, head down, hands pressed over my ears. I stand up and try to take a deep breath, but my breathing is shaky. I open the door, and an Avox is standing, gesturing me to come with him. I nod and walk out to where Finnick, Jackson, and Ariel are sitting in front of a big table full of food, but none of them are eating.

Finnick's face is stark white and his lips are tight. Ariel is looking down at her lap, biting her lip, and Jackson looks, if possible, even whiter then Finnick. His eyes are unfocused, and I feel like he could pass out any minute. I sit down next to Finnick, rolling the pearl in between my fingers. He puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes.

For some reason this makes me want to cry.

When it becomes clear no one is going to eat, Ariel says, barely audible, "I think your stylists are waiting." I nod and stand up, and 2 Capitol attendants escort me to my stylist. From there I am put in a black unitard, hunting boots, and a black jacket. I think my stylist says something, but I don't hear.

Before long I am in an underground room with a clear tube. My head is pounding, my vision is swimming, and my face feels hot. I hear yelling outside, and then Finnick bursts into the room. "Finnick?" I say, surprised. "What are you doing?" "I had to say goodbye!" he says, out of breath, and I hear footsteps running outside. He lifts me up and hugs me, so tight I feel like I might burst.

Again I feel like I am going to cry.

Then a team of Peacekeepers break into the room and take Finnick away. And then I am screaming, and the door shuts and I am screaming and screaming and then the countdown begins, and a Peacekeeper forces me into the tube and I am still screaming when the tube rises up into the arena.

The tributes are in a circle around the Cornocopia, which lies in a field.

"10, 9, 8."

I look around and see Jackson, his hands balled up into fists, his knuckles white.

"7, 6, 5."

The other tributes look around, surveying each other.

"4, 3, 2."

I lock eyes with a Career, and look away in fear.

"1."

And then the buzzer sounds, and I do the only thing that crosses my mind at this time: RUN. I run in an opposite direction from the Cornocopia, as fast as I can. A small bag flies right by my head, obviously thrown in the bloodbath. But I don't look back. I pick it up and keep running.

I don't know how long I run for. But I run until I feel safely alone, then sit down and examine the contents of my bag. I pull out a few packets of dried fruit, a package of dried beef, and an empty metal bottle that looks like it could hold maybe a pint of water. Water. That has to be my first priority. I see a squirrel run by and know that I must follow it if I have any hope of finding water. It is fast and hard to keep up with, but sure enough, eventually the squirrel lead me to a natural spring. "I guess the odds are in my favor today." I mutter to myself as I fill my bottle. I drink and refill my bottle several times, knowing I will need to be as hydrated as possible. i have just finished refilling my bottle again when I hear the footsteps. And the laughter. And I know it can only mean one thing. The Careers have found my watering hole.

**Sorry about the ending being… you know… cliff-hanger-y… so I may post Chapter 6 tonight since it's short. I hope you like it! Review review review! Love you all!**

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

**Coco: haha, just when you comment on how fast I'm updating… I fail. Lol sorry! And thank you, I'm glad it was heartbreaking, that's what I was going for ;) and here are the arena scenes! (or at least the start of them anyway.) **

**The Faery of Chaos: and just when the romance comes… the Games begin. Sorry about that… haha. And thank you, I tried to do the pre-games events as well as I could! I'm glad you still love it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**SORRY SORRY SORRY! I leave you with a cliff-hanger and don't even upload the next part! Ugh I'm so stupid! I swear I have short term memory loss, I just casually forget to upload for like 5 days. So… here is Chapter 6. Sorry it's quite short, but it kinda resolves the last Chapter and rest assured Chapter 7 will be coming within the next couple days (I'm serious this time, I just wrote myself a reminder lol) so here you go! Chapter 6!**

Chapter 6: The Cave

Before I can gather all my supplies and run, the Careers break through the forest. When they see me, they all start laughing and whooping. "Ohhh, look who it is," says the girl from district 2 in a singsong voice. "District 4, come to play!" "Shh, Sage, don't talk too loud," says her partner, Mace. "You might give her a heart attack and then we couldn't have any fun with her!" This leads the District 1 tributes to start cracking up, and it feels like a death sentence.

I look around frantically for an escape, but of course there is nothing.

"Oh, look, she's scared!" laughs the girl from District 1, which leads all the Careers to start laughing again. "Now, who wants to do the honors?" Sage starts to swing her axe menecingly and takes aim, but the District 1 boy pushes her, throwing off her aim causing her to throw her axe into a tree. "What the hell, Varnish?" Sage yells. I would be scared if I was Varnish. Although Sage is tiny, she is scarily strong and probably not entirely sane. "You already got your first kill!" Varnish says. "I thought you said I could do it!" Sage jumps on Varnish, but Mace grabs Sage and freezes. "shh… do you guys hear that?"

Everyone freezes.

The only sound is a faint buzzing.

Almost like a movie, everyone slowly turns their heads upward.

Sage's axe is lodged in a wasp nest.

But not just any wasp nest.

Tracker jackers. All together, the tracker jackers launch themselves on Sage. They tangle themselves in her long blonde braids and cover her entire body. Her blood-curdling shrieks combined with the lumps swelling all over her body make me want to pass out. The other Careers are running, but they too are being swarmed by tracker jackers. I gather my pack and run in the opposite direction, drawing the attention of a few tracker jackers. Pain shoots through my arm, my face, my leg, but I can't stop running.

I have to get away.

My vision is swimming, and I know the hallucinations will soon follow. I have heard about tracker jacker venom, what it does to people, but I tell myself to keep running.

I have to get away from the Careers.

But as the hallucinations worsen it gets harder and harder.

Trees shatter into glass shards, raining down on me.

Birds become so loud I think my ears may explode.

The ground becomes lime green quicksand, and I'm sinking, sinking…. And then I see the cave.

Its covered in huge, purple spiderwebs, but I rip them off and claw my way into the cave. Just before I pass out, I hear the cannon, signifying the death of Sage.

I don't know how long I am out. I swim in and out of reality, so that by the time I fully emerge I am in the same position I was the night before the Games, on my knees, hands pressed over my ears. My breathing is shallow, and just sitting up makes me dizzy. I see the lumps from the stings and pass out.

When I come to, it's darker, but I can tell it's been days. I realise the spiderwebs were vines, and that the moonlight is barely creeping in through the cracks. I still have my pack. My food. My bottle is full. But I can't do this. The Games. Everything. Coming in contact with the Careers made this real. I spot water dripping from a crack in the ceiling, creating a puddle of gray, slimy mud, the exact same color as the cave wall. I remember training, my camouflage, and I know what I have to do. I cover my body with the muddy substance and vow to never leave this cave ever again. Then I curl up on my side and cry, this time not caring if all of Panem sees.

**REVIEW RESPONSES: Coco: so it seems you are now my lone reviewer, or at least you were for the last chapter. YAY! I love to actually be able to tell when people are reading! I wish you would get notifications when someone reads your story… and I'm glad you're patient… since I forget everytime I make an uploading promise!**

**Okay so yes I know that was short but 7 is good length and 11 is really long! Love you all!**

**-Glimmerclove**


	7. Chapter 7

**I have a surprise for you all! Since I gained so many new readers and I feel horrible for leaving you all with so many cliff-hangers, you get 2 chapters tonight! It just doesn't seem fair to leave you with yet another cliff-hanger, especially since this one is so… well… you'll see ;)**

Chapter 7: Too Late

If someone were to find this cave, they would walk in and see nothing. Because everytime I think I hear anything that could be a footstep, I scramble to the wall and stand, frozen, covered in the gray mud that I have so obsessively been applying. I close my eyes and wait until I feel sure it was nothing. Then I go back to doing whatever I was doing, which, most of the time, is just sitting, hugging my knees, listening for the sound of a cannon that brings me one step closer to going home. If I stay in here long enough, hopefully the others will forget about me, think I've died from starvation or dehydration somewhere. So even though I am running lower and lower on water and my last pack of dried fruit is almost gone, I keep telling myself I can't leave. I can't risk seeing the Careers again. I can't risk seeing anyone. But the urge for water gets harder and harder to resist. The only thing that keeps me from leaving is every night when the Capitol anthem plays, and I peek out to see the faces in the sky. But tonight, there are no faces. Or the next night. Or the next night. And now I haven't had water for 4 days and I know that if don't do something I will die in here. So on the 5th morning, I decide I have to do it.I wake up to find the sky still dark and the wind whistling through the trees. I feel… weird somehow, like something's wrong. Then I remember… It's my birthday. _Happy birthday to me. _I mutter sarcastically to myself as I will myself to stand. _Your birthday present? Death. _I try to be strong and determined, but as I creep towards the mouth of the cave, I am shaking. _It's okay, Annie_, I tell myself. _Just to the spring. _But remembering the Careers, the tracker jackers, Sage's screams… just thinking of it makes my vision swim. But I know early morning is the best time to go, so finally I take a deep breath and leave my cave for the first time in 2 weeks. I almost cry out of fear, but I push myself to go. I tiptoe as soft and quiet as I can, my heart stopping any time I think I hear a noise. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I promise myself I will never leave the cave again once this little expedition is over. I finally make it to the spring, just as the sun begins to rise. I dip my bottle into the pool formed by the spring, thinking how beautiful the sunrise is. And then I hear the screams.

3 people come staggering into the clearing, although they can hardly be recognised as people. A girl whose blond hair is tangled and caked with blood, and whose face is swollen and beaten, along with 2 boys who look like they could (if it's possible) be even worse off than her. The girl limps over to the spring and collapses, blood tricking from her mouth. A cannon blasts in the distance, and I know that this girl, who I now know as Silk from District 1, is dead. Seeing the 2 boys draw closer, the world swirls in lopsided circles around me. Because one of the bloodied, fighting boys is someone I never hoped I would see again. Jackson Castor.

He seems too engulfed in fighting to notice I'm there, but when he turns around our eyes meet and he pauses for one second, giving Mace an advantage. He grabs Jackson in a headlock and pulls him to the ground. "Well look who it is, Jackson," sneers Mace as he runs his knife along Jackson's cheek tauntingly. "District 4's wittle baby. Come out of hiding at last, have we?" All I can do is sit there, frozen, causing Mace to crack up. "Well, this'll be a good show for you," he whispers, to Jackson, just loud enough for me to hear. "I'll let you pick how she dies. Would you like stabbing, drowning, or slow and painful torture?" Jackson gathers enough strength to kick Mace in the chest, throwing him off enough for Jackson to stand up. But Jackson can't run fast enough, and I am forced to watch as Mace grabs Jackson by the neck and swings his axe, hard. And Jackson's head rolls on the ground towards me, stopping at my feet, landing face up, his lifeless eyes staring straight into mine.

**REVIEW RESPONSES: **

**70thHungerGamesVictorD4: YAY! A NEW REVIEWER! I am sooooo glad you love it, I LOVE getting responses it means a lot to hear you say it describes them perfectly, I try ;)  
>Coco: Don't worry about it have fun on vacation!<strong>

**okay so since this is probably the worst spot to leave you, and chapter 8 is really short, I will post that tonight as well. Love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**As promised, Chapter 8! You are about to witniss Annie going insane, so if this chapter doesn't make much sense, bear with me. Chapter 9 will explain it more.**

Chapter 8: The Victor

My vision goes dark.

My heart stops.

I am dying.

I know I am.

Everything goes quiet, my head is too light. I

am falling into a black hole.

The trees are spinning, the sky is dark, dark, so dark.

Screams echo in my ears.

I don't know if they are mine.

I am falling, falling, down down down and I'll never stop.

Why is there the sound of a wave?

Jackson's head floats in front of me, the only thing not spinning in the tornado. His lifeless eyes roll back, and the screams grow louder and louder.

And I'm drowning in a sea, still spinning, the faces of the other tributes flashing before me. "_Swim, swim, swim." _I hear Finnick's voice chanting. Maybe it will help me escape the tornado, maybe I can swim away.

But I'm falling, farther and farther. The other tributes crawl through the air above me in the tornado, clawing at me with dead eyes staring.

"_Swim, swim, swim."_

My arms move without me moving them, my legs kick without me trying.

"_Swim, swim, swim."_

Laughter. Screams. So loud so loud so loud. Too many voices.

"_Swim, swim, swim." _

I feel the tornado catching up. I have to swim to escape them. I can't let them catch me.

"_Swim, swim, swim."_

Everything's so cold, so dark, and laughter and screams mix into one indescribable sound.

"_Swim, swim, swim." _

Do I hear cannons? They are catching up, the tornado engulfs me again.

Blood swirls in the tornado and I don't know who's it is.

I try to close my eyes but it only makes the sounds grow louder.

Tracker Jackers buzzing.

Careers laughing.

People screaming.

Blood-curdling shrieks.

I feel hands clawing at my feet, and I think maybe if I let them get me this torture will end. But I hear a voice, though I can barely distinguish what it is saying over the screaming laughter.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Annie Cresta, the Victor of the 70th Annual Hunger Games!"

A ladder falls into the water and I try to reach for it, but the swirling heads stop me. I scream as loud as I can, trying to escape this nightmare. Just as I think I am done for, I slip my arm through a rung in the ladder and black out.

**So I hope you liked this! This chapter was hard, for obvious reasons, but I hope it was good! Love you guys, review! I am curious for your opinions on this chapter… can't wait to hear them! 3**


	9. Chapter 9

**I just want to take a minute to say how much I love you guys, all of you. Your reviews for the last chapter made me cry. You guys are too sweet, and you make me so happy. I love all of you, it means so much to me to hear your feedback :,)**

**So this chapter is basically the last one, from Finnick's POV. Although you already know what happens, it should be refreshing (and clear up some stuff) to see it from Finnick's POV.**

I slam the door to my room and punch the wall. "Damn it!" I scream to no one. "Why is it so hard to get sponsers!"  
>Watching Annie in that cave, freezing, starving, crying.<br>It's awful.  
>Why does no one want to help her? I punch the wall again, and the wall plaster crumbles. I turn away from the hole I've just created, not caring.<br>I hate this job.  
>I hate it.<br>Preparing kids for slaughter, and watching them die. Then doing it again next year. It's hell.  
>But this year… This year is different.<br>I feel like I've known her my whole life. Watching her die is different then all the others. I haven't cried myself to sleep at night about any of the others. Jesus, I survived the Hunger Games, and I'm crying over a girl? But Annie… I can't think about it anymore.

I turn on the T.V. and stare blankly at Annie, curled on her side in that cave, shivering. I bet the Capitol gets a kick out watching a poor girl from District 4 starve to death. I think of them, sitting there with their wine and lavish feasts, laughing and smiling as an unknown girl from District 4 slowly die from starvation and dehydration on a screen behind them.  
>It makes me sick.<br>But I can't leave Annie.  
>I have to watch her.<br>Even though I can't do anything, I have to watch.  
>As the camera switches from Annie to the Careers, I slowly fall asleep.<p>

I awake to the sound of Annies voice echoing out of my T.V. "Happy birthday to me," she whispers to herself. "Your birthday present? Death." All of a sudden it's like someone has punched me straight in the chest. She's so… blunt. It makes me sad.  
>She begins to creep toward the mouth of the cave, her face determined but the fear in her eyes present. Apparently, the cameras are loving it, because they follow her every move as she creeps out of the cave, bottle in hand, heading towards the spring. As she kneels down in front of the spring, I find myself cluthing the T.V. with both hands, my face inches from the screen. "You did it," I whisper. "Nice." But as she kneels there, filling her bottle, the cameras switch to the Careers, beaten and bloodly but fighting their way straight to the spring.<p>

Straight towards Annie.

"Annie! Annie!" even though I know she can't hear me, I can't stop the sounds escaping my mouth.  
>The Careers break through the clearing, and Annie's eyes grow wide. Silk from District 1 staggers over and collapses, and Annie's face goes white. When she looks like she may pass out, I realize she has seen Jackson. Jackson meets her eyes, and Mace from 2 grabs him in a headlock. He sneers down at Jackson. "Well look who it is, Jackson," sneers Mace as he runs his knife along Jackson's cheek tauntingly. "District 4's wittle baby. Come out of hiding at last, have we?" All Annie can do is sit there, frozen, causing Mace to crack up. "Well, this'll be a good show for you," he whispers, to Jackson, just loud enough for the cameras to hear. "I'll let you pick how she dies. Would you like stabbing, drowning, or slow and painful torture?" Jackson gathers enough strength to kick Mace in the chest, throwing him off enough for Jackson to stand up. But Jackson can't run fast enough, and Mace grabs Jackson by the neck and swings his axe, hard. Jackson Castor is dead, beheaded, his head rolling on the ground, stopping at Annie's feet.<br>My jaw drops, and so does Annie's.  
>It seems as though shes trying to speak but can't, and then she falls to the ground, her blood-curdling shrieks piercing my ears.<br>She writhes on the ground like she's possessed, screaming and screaming, one long, continuous scream that sounds like it may never end.  
>As Mace laughs maniacally, the cameras switch to a dam, breaking, water flooding towards the spring. A huge wave rushes over them, and again I try to scream Annie's name but nothing comes out. <p>

Terror, absolute terror, terror I haven't felt since the Games floods over me. 

Annie keeps screaming, twisting around in the water as if held by an invisible tornado that only she can see. She flails around, avoiding some terrible hallucinations that are invisible to me, making it scarier.

All of a sudden, her arms and legs begin to move almost robotically, swimming faster than I've ever seen anyone swim before.

The cameras flash to Mace, gulping and gasping, his head barely breaking the surface as he tries and fails to get some air.

He dissappears, and a cannon goes off.

The camera flashes to Annie, now twisting in scary circles again, but then a voice announces, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Annie Cresta, the Victor of the 70th Annual Hunger Games!" A hovercraft appears and a ladder descends into the water, but Annie doesn't seem to notice it, being dragged into a scary world only she can see.

Then, flailing, her arm slides through a rung and she freezes, her eyes closed.

The ladder ascends into the hovercraft, and Annie disappears.

Her face flashes across the screen, along with the words, "Annie Cresta, District 4, Victor of the 70th Hunger Games!" I run out of my house to the Justice Building faster than I've ever run before.

Because Annie, my Annie, has, against all odds, become the Victor of the 70th Annual Hunger Games.

**Review Responses:  
>Coco: You made me cry :,) it means so much to hear you say I captured her character unlike anyone else. Really. I am sooo glad you like it! It's nice to know I have such dedicated readers!<br>**

**TheFaeryOfChaos: You made me cry too :,) I am feeling very emotional today lol. And yes, I am (hopefully) sane… it's really nice to know you think I did a good job! I am soooo greatful to have you reviewing, it makes me so happy**

**so… how did you like seeing Finnick's POV? Did I do a good job?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey! I just wanted to tell you all how excited I am because I just wrote Chapter 12, and it is FOUR PAGES LONG. Twice as long as the longest chapter I've uploaded so far. So get excited! But for now… here's Chapter 10!**

Chapter 10:

Finnicks POV:

I burst through the doors of the Justice Building, looking around for the mayor. He looks surprised when he sees me. "Finnick!" he says, smiling. "Isn't great? Another victor from District 4!" But I can see the fear in his eyes, and I can tell he knows something's not right. When he notices the panicked look on my face, he knows I saw. Saw her break. "Come on," he says quietly. "I'll drive you to the hospital."

The drive to the hospital feels long, really long.

As we drive, I remember my reaction when I won the Games.

I was scared, terrified.

But this was different.

Even through the screen I could tell it was different.

That something had snapped inside her.

The moment we arrive I throw open the door before the car has stopped moving. I run inside, pushing people left and right. As I reach the desk, I hear the silence. It's eerie, and before I can ask why, the answer comes.

Screams.

Awful, terrifying screams of anguish. They stop for a few seconds, and the silence returns. "Where is she?" I scream. "You can't see her yet." A doctor says, but I am already running, down the hallways, following the sounds of her screams. "Annie! Annie!" I call. I hear footsteps running behind me, and I run faster. I burst into the room to find her on a bed, a team of 4 nurses circled around her. She is screaming, flailing, her eyes focused on some point in the air that, in her mind, holds some terrible nightmare. One of the nurses holds an IV, no doubt holding some kind of sedative, but she can't settle down long enough to get it in. She screams and kicks, and wrestles her arms free from the nurses. I am frozen in terror in the doorway, watching her, when someone grabs my arm. I try to pull away, screaming "Annie! Annie!" but she doesn't seem to hear me, locked away in her own terrifying world. I hear more footsteps, then feel a needle sink into the skin of my arm.

The last thing I see before I pass out is Annie throttling her own throat.

Annie's POV:

Hands clawing.

The screaming laughter. It followed me.

Flashes of light, faces, voices screaming my name.

Blackness.

The hands draw closer. They are covered in blood.

Bright light. A sharp tugging in my wrist. Cold.

Blackness.

Jackson's head, staring, screaming.

Always screaming.

Finnick's POV:

After a few days, the mayor knocks on my door. They are going to let me see her. Apparently now she is "stable" enough to have visitors. My heart drops. All hope is gone of finding the girl I knew on the train, the girl who I joked with during the interview training, the girl who I realized I loved the night before I was afraid I would lose her.

And now I'm afraid I did.

Tentively, I step into Annie's hospital room.

The doctors that follow me in are evidence of how careful I must be.

From the doorway, she looks peaceful, like she could be asleep. But as I draw closer, I can tell something is wrong. She is curled up in a ball on her side, rocking back and forth and shaking violently. Her hands are balled into fists so tightly that her knuckles are white, and her eyes are wide open. Her shoulders are tense, her teeth are clenched. I feel numb, and as I reach my hand out to touch her I realize it is shaking.

I touch her cheek softly, and she starts, sitting straight up, staring at the blank wall in front of her with such intensity that my breath catches.

"No! NOOOOO!" she screams, flailing and kicking, causing the nurses to run out to find a sedative. "STOP! PLEASEEEEE! NOOOOO!" she grabs her own hair and starts to pull, hard, causing me to grab her hands. "Annie, stop." I whisper. I try to make my voice as calm as I can, but even though I am whispering it, my voice shakes. She turns toward me, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her hands over her ears so hard her hands turn white. She continues to scream "NOOOOOOOOO! DON'T! PLEASE!" as the nurses run in with a syringe. "Grab her arms," the head nurse says to the other 2. "You hold down her legs. I'll give her the sedative." Feeling the touch of the nurses, Annie begins to shriek, one long, continuous sound that doesn't stop until the head nurse plunges the needle into her arm. Almost immediately, she flops, her eyes closed, her arms and legs in distorted positions like a rag-doll. The head nurse sighs and turns to me, putting her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to see that, sweetheart." She says softly. "I know it must be hard for you."

All I can do is shake my head.

Because hard doesn't even begin to describe it.

**REVIEW RESPONSES:  
>Coco: Yay! I'm happy it filled in some gaps for you that was sort of my goal ;) I'm glad you still love it!<strong>

**This chapter was hard to write… I hope I did I good job. I kinda freaked myself out writing this one… lol ;) I would love to hear what you all think!**

**Get excited for chapters 11 and 12, they are both long!  
>Love you all!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Oh. My. Finnick. The response I got to the last chapter? OVERWHELMING. I got about 4 or 5 people adding my story to their favorites (WOW) and so many AMAZING reviews! I love you all so much… every time I get a review it makes my day!**

**So… the moment you've all been waiting for… chapter 11! Actually, I don't know how many of have been waiting for this one, but I have, since it is my favorite chapter that I have written so far. I have been waiting forever to show this one to you guys… hope you like it! :D**

Chapter 11: The Interview (Finnick's POV)

Because of Annie's condition, she is deemed unfit to do the interview. I am taken by the mayor and a couple of Peacekeepers to the Capitol, to do it for her. While an unfamiliar prep team gets me ready, the nerves begin to surface.

I am not nervous to go in front of the crowd.

I am not nervous to talk to Caesar.

I am terrified of having to see Annie break again, and whether this time, knowing what's coming before it does, I will be able to hold on to my sanity.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to do something a bit different here tonight." Says Caesar. "Our victor, Annie Cresta, is still in recovery at the moment." His smile falters for just a second, but I recognize the look that quickly flashes across his face.

Worry.

Pity.

The same look I have seen on the faces of everyone that has visited Annie since the Games.

"So, we have a very special guest here with us tonight. He is not only a _very_ good friend of Annie's," he winks at the crowd, and they laugh. "But another District 4 victor! Ladies and Gentlemen of Panem, please welcome…. Finnick Odair!" The crowd cheers as I walk out onto the stage. I notice my hands are shaking and quickly sit down next to Caesar. "So, Finnick." says Caesar, holding one of my hands between his, "Tell us, how does it feel to have Annie back home again?"

I remember what the mayor told me just before the interview, "Annie's condition has been kept a secret from the Districts. Even the Capitol citizens are hopefully as ignorant about it as possible. We don't know how much the viewers saw before the Gamemakers cut away to the dam, but until we figure out how to disclose it, try to steer away from the topic."

This information made me happy for a moment, thankful I wouldn't have to witness the horror of her screaming, writhing journey into insanity one more time. But it also meant that I would have be careful, very careful, about what I said. And worst of all, I would have to pretend everything was okay.

Even though I know how much they saw, because I saw the whole thing.

But in the Capitol, they may have been able cut the programming in time.

So I have to pretend.

Smile for the cameras while Annie stays locked in a hospital room, trapped inside her mind, alone.

I know that even if the Capitol managed to cut the programming in time, Caesar has gotten at least some update on Annie's condition. The look on his face during his introduction told me that. But I don't know how much he knows, so I have to pretend eveything's okay. We both do.

I take a deep breath and say in what I hope is a convincingly happy voice, "It's… amazing. Being able to just be with her again is more than I could've hoped for." Caesar smiles as the audience "aww"s, and I'm hoping Caesar doesn't ask anything else before the footage because I don't know how much longer I can go on pretending that she's okay. But thankfully, the lights dim and Caesar plays the footage.

It's basically a video montage of all the footage taken of Annie during the Games, and some other things to fill in the gaps.

Annie running away from the Cornucopia.

Annie finding the spring.

The Careers reaction to finding the spring, their laughter ringing throughout the clearing.

And then the tracker jackers, and Annie finding the cave and then… waiting.

There are a few shots of the Careers and their kills to fill in the span of 2 weeks that consisted of Annie hiding out in the cave. Until a shot of her, in the early morning, creeping towards the mouth of the cave. My heart starts pounding, because this was the day of the beheading. The cameras follow her every move, flash to the Careers, back to Annie. A spectacular airial shot of the fight. And then… the beheading. But just when I think the camera is about to cut away… it doesn't.

The whole thing is shown.

And seeing it a second time is somehow even worse than the first.

Again, I have to watch Annie, my beautiful Annie, writhing on the ground, an unearthly noise escaping her, a mixture of excruciating pain and unbearable terror. My vision swims, my head pounds, I feel detached. The audience is a mix of gasps and confused looks. The screen cuts to black just as Annie slides her arm through the rung of the ladder. The words "Annie Cresta, Victor of the 70th Hunger Games." Are superimposed on the black in gold writing.

The audience falls silent, a mixture of shock and horror.

Caesar's eyes are still locked on the screen. Then he turns to me and looks me over, I guess to see if I can continue. I give him a nod and he says, "I guess you've seen that before." I nod again. Caesar sits quietly for a while, the first time I've ever seen him speechless during an interview. After a while he says, "How did you feel seeing that on your screen at home." I take a deep breath before saying, "Helpless." Caesar nods, and I continue. "Seeing her in so much pain, and not being able to help her, it was unbearable." I look into the audience and the mayor gives me a nod. "Seeing her slip away from me while all I could do was sit and watch. It was… excruciating." "And now?" Caesar asks softly. "Now?" I whisper. "Now… now instead of being the girl from the train, the girl who laughed at all my jokes and made me laugh too, the girl looked to me before her interview because she was scared no one would like her, the girl who broke down crying the night before the Games and begged me to stay all night… now she lays in a hospital room, in restraints because she keeps trying to throttle herself, locked in a shadowy world of nightmares that no one can get her out of. She hasn't spoken, and lays in bed screaming trying to claw her way out of those nightmares. All I want is to go in and find the girl from the train, and lead her out of her own head. But I can't. She won't let me in. She won't let anyone in. I don't even know if she knows who I am."

My voice catches on the last word and I stop, unable to continue without breaking down. I don't know how long I sit there in silence, but when I feel Caesar's hand on my shoulder I realize I am sitting, holding my head between my knees. "She's lucky to have someone like you." He says softly. And then a buzzer goes off, jolting the audience out of their trance. "That's all the time we have." Caesar says quietly. "Thank you for coming, Finnick."

The ride home is a blur. I sit trying so hard to figure out why Snow would do this. It was fairly obvious that Caesar had no idea this was happening. The audience had obviously seen that footage for the first time. I sit going back and forth about whether I should get another opinion. Finally I decide to ask the mayor. His response shocks me but, at the same time, doesn't. "To make a good show. The grand finale, I guess." Snow. Using Annie, my Annie, as a "grand finale." I'm sure it must've been a delightful twist for him, having this year's Victor go insane. Showing that even if you win the Games, the Capitol still has control.

I decide right then and there that my hatred of President Snow has grown into something bigger. It has grown into a desire to kill.

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

**Prim12: haha yay! Welcome to the review party! I'm so glad you love it! I'm glad it's how you imagined… yay!**

**The Faery Of Chaos: haha I did update fast didn't i? so unlike me… ;) and I hope you liked this chapter… all Finnick!**

**CherryPieBlues: this review made my day. The fact that you think it seems so perfect? AHHH I'm so happyyyyyy :D yayy I'm so glad you love it!**

**Coco: ahaha yes, VERY hard. And draining as well. The next chapter has a lot of that, and when I finished writing it I felt so drained… it took me like 3 times as long as the others to write because it was so draining lol.**

**So, this was meant to give a bit of insight as to why Finnick was passionite about joining the rebellion during the Quarter Quell. Just thought I should explain that a bit ;)**

**I hope you liked this one! It was fun having a whole Finnick chapter… hope I did a good job for the interview! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!  
>love you all! <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, I have a confession to make. I haven't started Chapter 13… :O I'M SORRY! Ahh I'm just at a bit of a block at the moment… but it's okay, I sorta have ideas… just warning you I may not update the next chapter at lightning speed… because I'm so good about that anyway ;)**

**Buuuttt anyway… here's Chapter 12. It switches back and forth a lot… kinda gave me a headache writing it so… good luck but don't worry, I promise you the next one won't be so… flip-floppy. It was too tiring for me to write lol. **

**ENJOY CHAPTER 12! :D**

Chapter 12  
>(Finnick's POV)<br>I visit Annie every day. The doctors give me special clearance even when visiting hours are over. After her… decline during my first visit, they were hesitant to let me back in, but something about the look in my eyes when they barred the door stopped them. Even though her condition is seemingly unchanged, she doesn't scream anymore when she sees me.  
>Which doesn't happen often.<p>

But sometimes something in her brain will slip, and she is let out of her world for long enough to notice I am there. If that happens when a nurse is around, she will scream and thrash to the point of needing sedation. But if it's me, something in her face relaxes.

For a split second, the terror is gone, and is replaced with a face that looks so helpless, so tired, so sad. But then her demons drag her back into her world of nightmares, and the terror returns. Her face changes so quickly, it's scary. She grips my wrist with terrifying strength. Every time that happens it makes me want to cry. To see her face contort with such pain and have no idea what she is feeling… it makes my heart hurt.

(Annie's POV)  
>Every minute of every day, I hear screams.<p>

At the bloodbath.

Sage as the tracker jackers sting her to death.

Jackson.

Me.

They never stop.

Darkness.

I used to like darkness.

It used to be soothing, comforting.

I used to only be able to sleep in complete darkness.

But now, darkness is just a backdrop.

For the bloody corpses to scream and claw at me.

For Jackson's severed head to haunt me.

Sometimes water comes.

It fills my black hole, and I can't breathe.

I think I try to scream then.

But you can't scream if you can't breathe.

But sometimes the clawing hands let go of me.

And I can float.

And when I float, I float up, up, up, and as I reach the top of my endless black hole, I see whiteness.

White lights, white rooms, white walls, and faces.

Sometimes I see nurses.

I remember the first time I saw nurses.

They stuck a needle in my arm and all of a sudden I was trapped in my black hole for a long time.

The last time I saw them they did the same thing.

I don't like being trapped.

So I scream.

But sometimes I see Finnick.

He doesn't trap me.

He makes me feel warm, soft, safe.

He makes me feel like I could float forever.

But the hands always win in the end.

No matter how hard I try to hold on to Finnick, they always win.

Dragging me back under.

Trapping me until I can float again. 

(Finnick's POV):

Eventually, the doctors decide going home would be good for Annie. Since the hospital seems to be doing nothing for her, they decide that trying to integrate her back into her old routine may help her. I am grateful. I hate seeing her lying there in a white room, day after day. Maybe a change of scenery will be good for her.

We get her home and into her own bed, and the doctors tell us they will come check in daily with medication. Then they leave, and it's just me and Annie, until Mrs. Cresta walks in. She looks relieved. "I went to the hospital but they said she'd gone home!" she says frantically. I nod. She looks at Annie, and tears well up in her eyes.

The day Annie came back from the arena, no visitors were allowed. So the first time she was declared "stable" enough for visitors, they let in Mrs. Cresta. Unfortunately, the minute she walked in, Annie had a fit. She screamed and kicked and banged her head over and over on her bed, pressing her hands over her ears like she did the day she came back. The doctors thought that seeing Mrs. Cresta triggered something in her brain, so the next time they allowed visitors, they wouldn't let Mrs. Cresta see her. This is the first time she has seen Annie since then, and I can't imagine what it must be like for her.  
>Actually, I can.<br>Almost losing someone you love and when they come back to you… not even knowing if they recognize you… it's unbearable.

I sit by Annie's bed, watching her lay there. I don't know why I'm doing it. She doesn't look peaceful. Her hands clench and unclench, her eyes are wide. I sit back in the chair and close my eyes. I'm so tired, I'll only rest them for a minute… just a minute…

"Finnick! FINNICK!" I am awakened by the screams. Annie is kicking, clawing at the air, screaming my name over and over. "Finnick! FINNICK!" I run over to the bed, to try and calm her down. I put my hand on her back. "Shh," I say softly. "Annie, it's okay." The minute my hand touches her back, though, she freezes. She stiffens, and then starts shaking. I lay down on the bed next to her and wrap my arms around her, holding her close. "Shh, shh," I whisper. "It's okay, you're okay."

(Annie's POV)

I'm floating again.

So how come I only see darkness?

Why is there no whiteness?

Where is Finnick?

I can't float into darkness.

What waits there?

I'm getting closer, closer, closer to the unknown darkness.

But there, in the darkness, I can barely make it out…

Finnick, sleeping on the chair next to me.

But wait, the hands. I can feel them, on my feet, clawing at my ankles.

I can't let them take me. Not now.

"FINNICK!" I scream. Maybe he can save me; maybe he can get the hands away.

"FINNICK!" I scream again, but the hands are pulling me down, down, down, and Finnick's face is getting smaller and smaller and I can't let them take me, I can't I can't I can't! I kick and flail, all the while screaming for Finnick. He has to come, he has to save me.

And all of a sudden I feel a hand on my back. And it's Jackson, looking like he did on the train, no injuries, smiling even. But then he starts to cry, and it's blood. And I can't move, and I'm falling slowly back down the hole but I'm frozen still until-

Arms. Warm. Safe. They wrap around me. And now no matter how hard the hands pull I am floating, up, up, up, faster than I ever have before, and for the first time in what seems like an eternity, I am out. Out of the hole. And the only thing in the world I can feel is the soft, warm embrace of… who? But then I hear the voice, and it makes me feel so happy I could melt. I open my eyes, and I can barely see through the tears, but I don't care, it's who I see that matters. And so, in a voice that is so sad, so tired, so fragile that I would never know it was mine, I say, barely audible, "Finnick."

(Finnick's POV)  
>I hold Annie for a while; just lay there, with my arms around her. Her breathing is heavy, and I can tell she is fighting some sort of battle in her mind. I hold her tighter, and all of a sudden, something happens.<br>Something that, after the past few days, I would never have imagined could happen.  
>Annie flops, all the struggle has gone out of her.<br>Her expression of terror is replaced by one of exhaustion. And then she looks at me with tears in her eyes, and in a voice that sounds as fragile as butterfly wings, she whispers my name. "Finnick."

And I do the one thing I promised myself I would never do in front of Annie.

I cry.

**And… after being a total spaz and crying at my own story… Here are the review responses! **

**The Faery Of Chaos: Thank you . And in terms of how long it's going to be… to be honest I don't know myself. As you read above, I haven't started 13 yet so I'm not quite sure where I'm going yet… sorry that was kind of unhelpful :P but please don't feel obligated to review every time… as amazing as it is to get reviews from you, since they always are so sweet, I understand if it just gets… tedious. Lol. But yeah, I'm really not sure how long it's gonna be… sorry :P 3**

**Peeta3: Fantastic? Really? Thanks! I love getting reviews, they make my day! Honestly I start smiling and my family/friends look at me like "what a weirdo." Lol but thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you love it!**

**Love you all! Review if you can!  
><strong> 

**Xoxo, GlimmerClove**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello my lovely readers I am sooo sorry for not posting in a while, these past couple weeks have been CRAZY! And they're about to get even crazier… I have finals the week of the 11****th****. :P Fun, I know. I will try to get a chapter or two up before then, but bear with me here, because I don't know if I'll have time to write… although I'll probably find myself doing it to procrastinate ;) *winky face cause annoying fanfiction always deletes my precious winkyfaces***

**Also I need someone to explain something to me… on my uploader/doc manager it says chapter 1 has a 7 day life left… does that mean it is going to disappear in 7 days?**

Chapter 13 (Annies POV)

Wow. Finnick Odair, the brave victor from District 4. Crying. I never would've pictured that. So of course it catches me all the more off guard. "Why are you crying?" I whisper. And this makes him laugh. Which makes me start laughing too… which brings back the screaming laughter. I close my eyes and press my hands over my ears, taking deep breaths. Finnick wraps his arms around me, and when I can finally open my eyes, his expression is relieved. For some odd reason, this makes me start laughing again, but this time nothing happens. This makes me so happy, I start laughing harder, laughing until I can't breathe. Finnick and I just lay there for a while, laughing, and none of us knows why, except for the fact that we are both just so deliriously happy. After what could've been minutes, hours, days for all I know, we just stop and look at each-other. I look at him and he gives me a quizzical look.  
>"What?" I ask.<br>"Why are you smiling?" he asks, and I realize I have a huge grin plastered across my face.  
>"Sorry," I say, blushing, and look away.<br>"Don't." Finnick puts his hand under my chin and holds my head up. "I want to memorize your eyes." I laugh.  
>"Oh, Finnick Odair. You've lost your touch. 'I want to memorize your eyes?' That's the best you could come up with?"<br>"Sorry." He whispers. "I haven't had much practice lately."  
>I smile at him and look straight into his eyes.<br>Sea green, and sparkling, just like the ocean.  
>I realize just how much I've missed those eyes.<br>All of a sudden it hits me, just how tired I am. It must register on my face, because Finnick whispers, "Try and sleep." I nod, and snuggle down into his chest. "Don't leave." I whisper back. I barely hear him reply "I won't." before I fall straight to sleep.

_I am walking through a forest. It is peaceful. Quiet. _

_Almost too quiet. _

_Something about it gives me a bad feeling, but for some reason I keep walking. It's nice, but I can't shake the bad feeling. Something feels… familiar. _

_Too familiar._

_And then I realize why this place makes me feel so scared. _

_I am back in the arena._

_I look around, frantic, and then I find my way to my spring. Then the Careers break through, along with Jackson. I am frozen, knowing what is going to happen. But just as Mace leaps on Jackson, our eyes meet. I scream in horror, but it's too late. Because the head that rolls and stops at my feet isn't Jackson's._

_It's Finnick's._

I wake up screaming in a cold sweat. Finnick starts and sits up, and I burst into tears. He holds me for a while. I don't know how long I cry, but when I've finally calmed down enough to start breathing normally, I say into his chest "I'm sorry." He hugs me tighter.  
>"Don't apologize. You okay?" I nod, my head still buried in his chest.<br>"I can't go back to sleep."  
>He sighs, and when I look up at him, I notice his expression is pained. And all of a sudden, I know why.<p>

It's because he knows just how I'm feeling.

The nightmares.

How real they feel. Even after you wake up.

He has been dealing with that for 5 years.

"I know." He says. I start crying again. Will I ever be able to sleep again? Or will I always be plagued by nightmares? By this time, the sun has just come up. "Annie?" Finnick says softly. "Let's go to the beach." I nod. A distraction might be good for me.

When I get to the beach, an instant feeling of calm rushes over me. The sand. The water on my feet. The sound of the waves breaking. It feels so nice. So… normal. I lay down, my head on Finnick's chest, feeling the soft sand with my hands. I bury my hands deeper into the warm sand and find something hard. I pull it out and examine it. It's a shell, swirled, from a snail. It's a soft gray color. Like the moon on a cloudy night. Or the dolphins that sometimes play in the water when I go fishing early in the morning.

Or the cave.

The cave. The cave that was my prison for two weeks. The cave where I sat, hungry, alone, dehydrated, and cold. So, so cold. And suddenly I am back in the arena, in the cave, shivering, shivering, so cold, and hearing screams. They get louder and louder, and I try to run but I can't because the ground is shaking like it did right before the water came, and then rocks are falling, falling, blocking the entrance to the cave. I bang and bang but I can't get out, and then I feel the water, coming up to my ankles, my knees, my neck, and I scream and scream but-

"Annie?" Finnick's voice pulls me back to reality. I sit straight up, and then collapse onto Finnick, bursting into tears. "It felt so… real." I choke out between sobs. "I know." Finnick whispers. "Flashbacks do. Lets go home."

The walk home is quiet. Finnick keeps looking at me every couple seconds, like he's afraid I'm going to attack him. Or collapse. Or both. After a few minutes of silence, I finally whisper "sorry." Finnick looks at me in surprise. "For what?" "For… screaming and waking you up before. And for crying. Twice. And for-" Finnick cuts me off. "Annie Cresta. You just came back from the Hunger Games. You spent about 2 weeks in an arena, watching kids kill each other." The cannon shots from inside my head are too loud. My hands go to my ears, but Finnick stops them. He holds my face in his hands and whispers, "You do not have to apologize for waking me up. Or screaming. Or crying." He smiles at me. "You get a free pass on those things when you win." I smile back. "Thanks Finn." I say, but I'm still feeling a little shaken up from his mention of the Games. "Lets talk about something else now, okay?" "Okay." He says. He takes my hand and starts talking. Just… talking. Saying anything that comes to mind. He tells me about the first time he went fishing when he was five. He tells me about the time he thought he speared his first fish with a trident, but it was just a clump of seaweed. He tells me everything, just to keep me distracted. And I can't help thinking how lucky I am to have Finnick Odair.

When we arrive back at my house, I know something is wrong right away. The two Peacekeepers standing outside my door are the first clue. The next one is the voice I hear when I walk in the door.

President Snow.

Terror. Absolute terror fills me. What is he doing here? What could he want?

"Hello, Ms. Cresta." says Snow. "So nice to see you… up and about." I grip Finnick's hand and he gives mine a reassuring squeeze.  
>"What are you doing here?" says Finnick, his face hard.<br>"Ahh, Mr. Odair, what a nice surprise. I was just here to inform Ms. Cresta that it is time for her to continue her duties pertaining to the Hunger Games."  
>There it is again. The cannon shots. The Careers. The head. Jackson's head. In the background, I hear Snow and Finnick, but they sound so far away. Like they did when I was in the hole. I can't go back into the dark again. I can't I can't I can't. I feel the terror rising up inside me, and then Finnick's arms wrap around me. I realize I am on my knees, my hands pressed againt my head, hyperventilating. Snow pretends not to notice. "So, tomorrow, Peacekeepers will come to escort you to the train, where-"<br>"CAN'T YOU SEE SHE CAN'T DO IT!" Finnick yells, losing all control.  
>"It's compulsory." Snow sneers. "She <em>will<em> do the tour Mr. Odair. The Capitol has enough control to see to that." He looks at Finnick, sending him a message that I don't understand but that Finnick reads loud and clear.  
>"Fine." He growls through gritted teeth, wrapping his arms around me again, but this time like a vice. Making sure no one can take me away. "But I'm coming with her."<br>Snow's awful smile falters for a second, but he pulls himself together. "Oh, wonderful." He says. His voice chills me to bone. "Be ready tomorrow." And with that, he leaves, shutting the door with a click, leaving me still terrified. Not only about having to do the tour, but about what he will do to Finnick for revenge.

**As you can tell by reading this chapter, I was a little ADHD that day… it's kinda jumbled and all over the place… sorry about that :( but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!**

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

**JessieMellark: Thank you! :) xx I'm glad you love it… and sorry for the late update time, usually I'm pretty fast… don't worry when summer comes (for me June 15****th****) I will be updating like lightning! ;)**

**The Faery Of Chaos: aww you're too sweet! :) and don't worry, I will never discontinue this story, I promise :)**

**Side Note: Between the last update and this one, I saw the Avengers… twice! It was AMAZING! Did any of you see it? Did you love it as much as I did?**

**Love you all!  
>xoxo GlimmerClove<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello my lovely mocking jays! I am SOOOOOO sorry for seemingly disappearing off the face of the earth! My computer broke right after i uploaded the last chapter and then I got a new one that didn't have Word so I had to use TextEdit and then it wouldn't let me upload… sigh. But the good news is… I'M BACK! Here is the LOOONNNGGG awaited chapter 14! I am writing 15 as we speak so stay tuned! I told you I wouldn't give up!**

**-GlimmerClove**

Chapter 14

I can't believe it. I honestly can't believe it. The minute I am finally released from my black hole of Arena nightmares, I am whisked away on a Capitol train to relive the entire experience again and pretend to be happy about it. I relive it all every night; isn't that enough? I just... I can't believe it. Actually, I can. After all, this is the Capitol we're talking about. They live off of the amusement they get from our pain. This should come as no surprise. So why am I still crying? I feel Finnick's arms around me but for some reason it makes me cry more. Why? Other victors come out of the arena and they are happy, ecstatic even, cheering and smiling away at their interviews, making the crowds go wild on the victory tour. They win by strength or smarts and they deserve it. And how do I win? Not by being the strongest or the smartest or the most cunning and ruthless. No, I win by sheer dumb luck. I am weak, I let them break me. I stop crying long enough to gasp out " I shouldn't have won." Finnick looks at me in surprise. "what?" he asks in a voice not like he didn't hear me, but like he didn't want to believe it. "I said, I shouldn't have won. I'm not strong, I'm not a career, I didn't even kill anyone. I won by luck. LUCK, Finnick, and now I'm... I'm..." "Amazing." Finnick finishes my sentence for me in a way that makes me want to smile and cry at the same time. But it also makes me feel embarressed. "No, Finnick." my voice is barely audible now, since I'm doing all I can to choke back the new wave of sobs I feel creeping up the back of my throat. " I'm not. I got lucky. If that dam hadn't broken and flooded the arena I would be dead. I don't deserve... this." i wave my arms around, gesturing wildly at nothing in particular. "This is for Careers." I feel the lump in the back of my throat grow to a boulder, and it all becomes too much to hold in. "I let them break me, Finn. It's awful. It's so scary, Finn. I wish I hadn't won. I wish I had just been a cannon shot and let Jackson win or something." The sobs are racking my body now, and my breathing is so interrupted by them that I don't know if Finnick can even hear my last sentence. "I hate being a Victor." Finnick holds me closer and closes his eyes for a long time. After what seems like an eternity he sighs and says, "Don't. Don't hate it. Because if you hadn't won, we wouldn't be together right now." I look up at Finnick and realize how much I truly love him.

The minute my bags are packed, my heart starts racing almost as much as it did the night before the Games. In the back of my mind, I know it's irrational. But that doesn't stop me from grabbing Finnick's hand when the Capitol car pulls up. He gives it a reassuring squeeze, and we sit together watching the District go by in a blur. Our district representative, Avia, gives me a cautious glance every few minutes. I try to ignore it, but I have a feeling I will be getting a lot of "cautious glances" over the next few months. I am surprised to hear Avia tell me that we will be in District 12 by morning, but as I step on the train and everything outside the windows becomes a blur, I can see how. Not that I get much time to look out the windows, because I am almost immediately whisked off by my prep team to be waxed, shaven, scrubbed, and trimmed. It's almost as painful as the time before the Games, but I am told this is just preliminary. We will not be arriving in District 12 until tomorrow, so tomorrow morning I will get my hair and makeup done. I leave the room with tingling skin and am grateful to be able to sit down to dinner. A lump wels up in my throat, but I swallow hard. The last time I sat at this table was on the way to the training center. And on my right, where Finnick is sitting now, was Jackson.

Sitting here again, I wonder, did he know he was going to die? Did he know, deep down, that he couldn't make it? Or did he believe he really had a chance? I did. The last time I sat here I was sure I would be dead on the first day. I enever in a million years expected to make it any farther than Jackson. And I certainly never expected to win.

As much as this place makes me want to scream, I know I have to make an impression of stability. I'm tired already of everyone looking at me so apprehensively. Even still, I feel all eyes on me as I reach for the lamb stew. I sit perfectly straight, pretend I don't notice their watchful gazes. Not much conversation is made. Maybe people are afraid to say something that will set me off, or maybe everyone's just tired. I know I am. And Finnick keeps stifling yawns. As we finish dessert, I am grateful to be able to get up from the table. That meal was an awkward experience, and I would much rather spend time alone with Finnick. But as I get up to leave, he gives me a kiss and says "Goodnight." "You're going to bed already?" I ask him, a bit disappointedly. "Yeah, I'm… exhausted." He says, neither of us mentioning the reason why. "Okay, well… Goodnight." I give him another kiss, and he says "You're welcome to come." "No thanks," I say. "I think I'll stay up a little while." The truth is, I'm terrified to go to sleep, terrfied that sleeping on the train will engage some horrible nightmare. So I walk into the relaxing car, complete with soft velet couches and a fireplace. I sit for a while, try to relax, but I'm feeling restless and just decide to go to sleep. I walk into my own sleeping car, change into a nightgown, and am just about the climb into bed when I realize I can't sleep here. Too many bad memories. I feel bad waking up Finnick but I'm hoping I can just slip into bed without him noticing. I walk down the hallway of the train, tiptoeing as I get closer to his room so I don't wake him up. And that's when I hear the screams.

**Stay tuned for 15 coming soon… I hope 14 was worth the wait! review for me so I know that my disappearance hasn't made you guys go away! I love all and again I am so sorry for leaving you! **

**-GlimmerClov**


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